	The following poems were sent by Handsen Chikowore from Zimbabwe. I think of small things I complain about and then my breath is taken away when I read these poems...
	CRY AFRICAN GIRL Up in the azure sky Shoots the sun’s rays Rises to meet another day Another promise To me its not yet any hope As each day brings more problems Which trouble a thirteen year old girl Setting alight fire early morning Sweeping the sheets of dust and dirt early morning A beast of burden for firewood so I am bound All those long distances I have to walk A throbbing ever throbbing pain to my foot With the baby clinging on my yonder back The thorn infested forests The meandering long walks to boreholes and wells The back breaking dreary buckets full of water Its so tiresome my body sweats Its so punishing my body cannot endure
	ECHOES OF AFRICA Africa, Africa, Africa Our beloved continent cries Problems, troubles haunt the continent This is the voice of the Africans In Mozambique Floods destroyed infrastructure Outbreak of diseases haunt the nation Roads and bridges are non -existent Please help poor Mozambique In Zimbabwe We need investors We want employment creators Zimbabwe a country with resources For those who need real investments In South Africa Thousands are dying weekly We talk of AIDS daily Orphans are increasing daily We cry for God’s mercy In DRC We talk of war Peace agreements being breached We cry for peace in Africa Peace, peace in DRC In Kenya We talk of hunger and starvation Emanating from prolonged drought Food resources are scarce We really need urgent help This is the voice of Africa
	PLEA TO CANCEL THE DEBT Our country Our nation Our territory Our dwelling Have suffered long enough May you cancel our debt please Zimbabweans are destitute Companies are closing up The dollar weaken daily Prices of basic commodities Are sky rocketing daily Please cancel the debt The economy is ailing Trading is becoming less and less Foreign currency no longer available Imports are now limited Poverty, poverty is the daily song We are in true economic quagmire Please cancel our debts Breadwinners are jobless De-investments at its peak Unemployment ever-increasing Mines are closing down Owing to forex shortages Please cancel our debt You the rich giver and the lender Consider our problems seriously Have mercy on the masses of Zimbabwe Health institution faces drug shortages For the sake of development We need your best support Cancel our debt please
	POVERTY Day in day out I am always suffering No permanent place to sleep Hunger, hunger my stomach complains The mouth always dry Bins are the sources of my food Clothes are tattered and torn When I cry for help , no one come to my rescue Everyday I am always shouting Begging in the city centre streets Where the riches do their shopping Sometimes I don’t because of weakness and hunger They always scold me and neglect me I walk barefooted My teeth always dirt My hair scruffy No toothpaste and soap available I use water from public places My fellows go to school Whilst I am busy walking in the streets My relatives denied me I am an orphan I have no one to care for me When I seek help from churches They say we have no money They think I am insane I hope one day in my life God will rescue me From this bondage of poverty
	Back to Archives